Raconteur86: Haha, cool that's great :) Um...yes but I don't know how she would show up on the tests. Like she's based off someone I know, but tweaked. It's actually a good question, i'll have to figure out where she belongs on that test. Thanks :D

Celinana: Thanks I will :D

Katherine Winchester: I KNOOOOW! I'm so sorry. But it is crucial to the overall plot, I swear. :) I hope you enjoy, and don't worry she won't be there long.

ashleyk44: haha. I swear I don't mean to all the time, it just happens that it's the perfect place to end. Sorry. :( Haha, well... let's go with a 'yes' and leave it there.

Swarthylacine: Haha, bonjour mon amie :) I hope that was right. I would love to have a correction, I'm afraid I don't know anyone french so I had to rely on Google Translate.. they're never good. Haha. Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you won't have to kidnap me over it, and I hope to get the next one out by the weekend. :D Thank you for your review, I love to know I'm doing a good job, as my beta would tell you I have doubts. :) Enjoy.

Alright everyone sorryfor the delay, but it was unavoidable. It isn't the weekend, but I figured better late than never right? So here we are and I hope you all like it.

It was dark. So dark it was suffocating him. Where was he? Why was he here? He walked, his surroundings reminding him strongly of his time in the void, and almost like the cell which he had been in with Thanos. But why was he in this darkness?

The lights turned on, and he raised a hand to shield his eyes, the pain flashing through his brain as his eyes saw the red of his eyelids. He groaned for a moment, his eyes adjusting for a moment before he brought his hand down. The room he was in reminded him of his cage in the helicarrier, the stark whitewashed walls enough to blind one without the bright lights, yet they were there. The sound of whimpering caught his attention, and he spun around to see a gaunt figure in the corner, their knees brought up to their chest, their dark hair falling over their face.

He walked up to the figure, the familiarity washing over him. It was confirmed as she looked up, brushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes were sunken in, her entire frame shaking as her eyes were filled with terror... she was so frail.. "L—Loki?" she stammered out. It was she. How was this so? "How indeed?" she asked.

"I didn't say anything." Loki replied.

"Yes you did, you said 'how is this so?'" she said, the faint glimmer of a smile on her lips as she uncurled herself and reached for him... but her hands passed right through him. A strangled sob emitted from her, and she curled up once more. "Why do you do this to me, Alex? Why?"

"Alex has nothing to do with this." Loki replied, finally realizing what was going on. He reached for the locket, which was still hanging from her neck. "I never understood just how this thing would work, Frigga did it..."

Lizzie looked back up at him, her eyes now bloodshot. "Are you a ghost?" she asked.

"A ghost? No." Loki replied, wishing he could touch her, still he reached for her, unable to feel her skin although he could see his hand next to her cheek. "I will find you." he whispered.

"You can't." she replied, looking around. "He's got this place covered, you'll never find it."

Loki growled lowly in his chest. "I will find it." he swore. "And when I do, I will have Thor take you to Asgard. Shaw will never find you again."

A hollow chuckle came from her. "Empty promises." she said. "I would have liked to see Asgard though."

"What are you saying?" Loki demanded.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, Loki." she said, her eyes going dull. "I brought this upon myself, you know. If I had stayed in the Tower, this never would have happened."

"I do believe you once told me not to dwell on what might have been." Loki quipped, getting as close to her as he could by sitting beside her.

She scoffed, looking over at him, her position stretching out – suddenly there was a sound of footsteps, and her eyes filled with dread as she looked over at the door. It opened, and a young man walked in, his coat reminding Loki of a doctor. "You're early." she said to the man, wondering if he could see Loki like she could.

The man did not reply, motioning toward the door. "No..." Loki said softly as the two guards walked up to her and pulled her off the ground with little effort. Why wasn't she fighting? He watched helplessly as they put her on the table, strapping her down. The man pulled out a box, the devices he knew contained some kind of lightening being withdrawn from it. "No!"

Lizzie screamed as they came in contact with her skin.

Loki woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest as her screams echoed in his ears. He knew it wasn't a dream, the magic which was imbued into the locket created for the purpose of such things. Throwing off his blanket, he jumped up, pacing the room in the darkness. What were they doing to her? She looked near death, it seemed, and it had only been a day.

His mind contemplated what had happened since she'd been taken, and how things had gone. They'd returned to the tower with heavy hearts, the knowledge that they had failed in saving Elizabeth very present in each mind. Loki had not helped much, his rage fueled and rampant as he tried to find her immediately, knowing that the longer they waited the worse it could be...

Apparently he had been right.

"Aaaaaah!" he yelled, magic swirling around him as his anger increased, the power destroying everything in his room. He would destroy Alex, and he would regret ever laying a hand on her.

Yet, a part of him still thought of how she had pretended to betray him, and her words when she did. Looking around him, he took in the destruction, wondering at how he felt inside was what his surroundings had become... he needed peace, but he knew he wouldn't find it.

He cursed Odin for his weakness, for the fact that he was helpless in such a situation. He wondered if the old goat was up in Asgard watching with a laugh, somehow enjoying the pain which the Norns were inflicting upon him, counting down the time until Loki did something that would slam him back in the Tower of Solitude.

He hated his room. It was so impersonal, so cold and detached, a place he didn't care about and therefore hadn't made his own. He wished Frigga were here, he wished he could get her advice, her warmth, and her comfort. Comfort... he never realized he needed it until now.

Looking around he decided he didn't want to be there, and quickly setting everything right he left his room. But where would he go? Elizabeth's door seemed to call to him, and he went to it, seeking some kind of reprieve, something to calm him and comfort him in the only way he could get. Opening her door, he soaked in her presence even though she wasn't there, the room emanating her in every way. It was so different from his own room, the warmth of her personality everywhere.

Going to her bed, he laid down and took her pillow in his arms, inhaling deeply as he tried to imagine her laying beside him. This was only temporary, he decided, and soon it would be her who was in his arms where she belonged... and Odin be damned if he tried to take her from him.

Thanos was furious. He knew he never should have allied with the idiotic mutant, Shaw. He was far too self-centered with a large ego to be truly helpful, his possessive nature over Loki's woman showed this. She was definitely a problem to be removed, her power over both Shaw and Loki was dangerous, and from what he'd seen it could mean bad things if she continued living.

"Master?" the Other called, coming into the room, his Chitauri appearance having been changed to that of a Midgardian. He was blonde, tall, and brawny now, and to any normal being he would even be considered attractive – of course, that meant little to him, his appearance being nothing more than a vehicle for him to go around in without drawing suspicion.

"What do you want?" Thanos boomed, his previous irritation adding a terseness to his tone.

"The soldier that Shaw manipulated is ready for action." the Other replied. "The only problem is that the Avengers found his original, it's going to be a bit difficult to get our soldier in there."

Thanos scoffed. "We'll get him in without issue." he said. "Send him in."

The Other nodded, and opened the door, Happy standing on the other side – but it wasn't Happy. He said a few words in the Chitauri language which Thanos responded to, and with a bow he turned around and left. Thanos turned to the Other, looking him over. "Get to the other women... I want the beast to come before me of his own volition." he ordered. The Other bowed and walked out.

Thor was distressed, his mind in such a state of troubledness that he had not felt since he found out that Loki was alive and planning to attack Midgard. It had been three days since the Avengers had surprised Alex, gotten back their friends, and left one behind. Clint was well, his injuries were minor, as he had been snuck out by Natasha early... whatever had happened in his mind, however, he kept a secret, telling only his partner. Pepper was also relatively alright, there had only been one test done on her, but she had survived and her abilities were still intact – if anything, Alex had actually done her a favor, and she somehow had found a way to curb the power easier.

What made matters bad was the knowledge that Thanos had been on the planet, and had escaped without anyone knowing where he was. Loki had told his story,

But it was Loki who Thor worried about the most. His powers hadn't left him, meaning he knew that Elizabeth was constantly in danger, that known his temper was shorter, and it took more to calm him down. He was driven to find her, but didn't know how. Veronika had been somewhat helpful in calming him, her presence enough to remind him of Elizabeth and that he couldn't lose his head for her sake. Still, he was furious.

Hence, Thor was at his brother's door, contemplating whether to knock or not. He hadn't really talked to Loki since Lizzie had been taken, and he felt like he needed to. Finally, he raised his massive fist to knock softly, the hollow sound echoing into the room. Loki made no answer, and Thor knocked again, a little firmer this time.

"Prince Thor," Jarvis interrupted. "May I suggest knocking at Miss Elizabeth's door?"
Thor nodded and sighed, moving over to the other door and knocking again. Somehow it didn't surprise him that Loki was spending time in her room, although he would never say it to his brother's face... after all, Loki wasn't entirely stable right now.

The door opened, by magic, as and Thor saw that Loki was on her bed, staring at the ceiling deep in thought. "You know, you've changed Thor. There was a time when 'soft knocking' wasn't something your mind registered." he quipped immediately.

"And there was a time you actually answered the door." Thor replied sternly, walking in and shutting said door behind him.

"Yes, well, I'm making sure everything works." Loki said, still not looking at his brother.

Thor looked around the room. "I'm surprised that everything isn't in tatters. Last time I was in here, you'd destroyed the place." he said.

"I never destroyed this room, you're referring to my own – which I will add is completely in order. If you wish to know what it looked like I'm sure Jarvis will give you a copy of my rage." Loki retorted, sighing. "What do you want Thor?" Sitting down on the bed beside Loki, Thor thought his words out. "Ooh, you have changed. You haven't sat on my bed to try to give me reason for years – furthermore you never actually thought your words through."

"It's not your bed." Thor commented.

"For all intents and purposes: yes it is." Loki replied coolly, the chained monster lingering just beneath the surface.
"I am trying here, do please be quiet until I figure out what to say." Thor replied.

"Or what?" Thor growled, and Loki laughed. "Ever the verbalist, brother."
Still Loki did not look at him, but Thor still thought it through and decided what he wanted to say. "Loki..." he finally said, his booming voice brought to a soft rumble. "You do know that we are trying to find her. Even in Asgard, Heimdall is looking for her."

"Good for him." Loki mocked.

"I mean it, Loki. Mother is very worried, she—" he stopped, remembering how livid she had looked with whatever she saw.

"What?" Loki snapped, finally looking at Thor. "What did Frigga say?"

Thor stood, shaking his head as he walked away. "I always say the wrong things."

"What?!" Loki repeated, the anger coloring his tone a bit more each time as he sat up to watch Thor pace.

"She warned me. She told me what would happen if I didn't get Elizabeth out alive." Thor replied, his back to his brother... he couldn't face him. "And I didn't!" With a yell, he threw Lizzie's chair into the wall, trying to calm himself. He had failed, and he hated failing.

Loki stiffened."Never throw Elizabeth's things again." he warned lowly.

"Forgive me, I wasn't thinking." Thor replied, picking up the chair. How alike his brother and he were.

"Think in the future." Loki said. "What did Frigga say?" he asked.

Thor didn't answer for a moment, thinking of every way he could have saved Elizabeth, and he didn't. "She said..." He finally uttered, turning to face Loki. "She said that if I didn't save her, she would most certainly die. What she foresaw was not what happened though, do you think she's wrong?"
Loki scoffed. "Frigga is never wrong." he said, getting out of the bed and fixing the chair, as well as the hole in the wall as he walked up to his brother. "She told me the same."

"I am sorry, Loki." Thor said, his eyes filled with grief and anger. "I thought I could save her. I was so confident – I didn't even save you, Lady Veronika did."

The smaller man scoffed again walking over to the window. "Your pride has always been your downfall."

"But I didn't count on Shaw doing what he did!"

"Of course you didn't, I don't think anyone did." Loki said softly. "But she's out there, and only Shaw knows what he's doing to her. You didn't see her face... her horrified expression..."

"What kind of things?" Thor asked, and Loki growled lowly.

"No."

"Loki I must know!"

"Why?" Loki spun around on his brother, this time his eyes alighted in rage. "Why must you know? So you can save her from them, and be the perfect little Thor you always were?"

"Loki, that was not my intent!"

"Then what was it?"

"I simply wish to know what it is that you are pondering over that has you shut up in your room for a day-and-a-half!"

"And you think it's her tortures?"

"I know it is!"

"And how do you know what it is that you think you know? Have you discovered new powers, big brother?"

"I know you!"

On cue, thunder boomed, the sound of it nearly deafening anyone in the tower. It seemed to do something to Loki because he actually contemplated his brother's words.

"And what is it you think you know?"

Thor sighed, hanging his head. "You too are focusing on how you failed her, and in that focus no doubt you are thinking on what the consequences of it is." he said, more calmly this time. "It brings fresh pain to you, which you revel in, every time you think of what she's going through right now. Your powers are intact, and restored to you, that means that she is in constant danger. I am no fool, I know the signs of your rage." he explained, looking at Loki in the eye.

He was right, and Loki couldn't deny it. He had been thinking about her and imagining what she must be going through. She had told him of pain to incite her power, and the feeling of much of her blood leaving her body to see what different things did to it. She had told him of the serums, and how they burned when they entered her bloodstream, causing fire throughout her whole body. All of these he imagined, the new pain of losing her child for yet another time no doubt leaving its mark on her heart. Would she even be the same when he found her again?

"See?" Thor asked softly, a sad smile on his face. "Right now, you're thinking about it aren't you? You're thinking of each of her tortures."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "Get out."

"No."
"What?"

"Every time you've needed me, I haven't been here. You can't throw me out if you tried, and if you did it would be quite a battle." That was new. As if to prove his point, Thor sat down in the recently mended chair, looking at Loki with an understanding. "I know what you're going through."

"No you don't." Loki quipped, his voice raising a level. "You never lost Jane like this."

"No, I haven't." Thor replied softly. "But I have lost you."

Loki said nothing.

"Loki, you must think of what she will come back to." Thor said, more insightful than Loki had ever seen him. "Do you want her to return, in pain and broken, to a man who shuts himself in his room? She will need you, and for you to sit here, and not work with the others to try to find her is childish."
"What can I do?" Loki snapped. "Alex has put some kind of protective force over her, I can't see her surroundings, and even if I could, I doubt I'd be able to do anything about it because I wouldn't know where it was!"

"But you have holed yourself up here for two days, Loki! You gave up the first day you came, and you've been here ever since—" Thor found himself thrown into the opposite wall, Loki's eyes alight in fury.

"I never gave up! Nor will I!" Loki shouted. "But what would you have me do, brother?! Be in there and reminisce with the puny mortals who you have so easily allied yourself with?"
"You forget that they are your friends!" Thor boomed. "You forget that Elizabeth is one of them!"

Loki snarled. "One of them?! Before I was taken she was seen with suspicion – suspicion cast upon her by your precious director of SHIELD. If she is one of them then why did they abandon her? Why do they now act as if she is already dead?"
"They do no such thing, they are looking for her!" Thor returned.

"Looking for her? Ha!" Loki mocked, his anger the only thing keeping his ultimate sorrow at bay. "I heard their words, Thor, they spoke of her in a past tense. They spoke of avenging her, as they did that idiot mortal Coulson."

Thor sighed, sitting down once more and hanging his head. "I cannot deny that they did speak of her as such..." he said slowly. "It has been three days, Lady Veronika cannot find her... and neither can Heimdall. But they are looking, Loki. They won't give up."

Loki scoffed. "They are mortals. It is in their nature to give up." he spat, walking back over to her bed and laying down.

"And obviously it is in yours." Thor retorted, getting up from his place and walking over to his brother, his defenses raised should Loki strike at him.

"I have not given up." Loki repeated, sighing. "I have... seen... glimpses of her..."

Thor's brow furrowed. "Glimpses?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"

Loki looked up, then down at his hands, which played with her old watch. "At the hour of three in the morning, I can see her. She's always crying... but her eyes... they're dying."

"Dying?" Thor parroted. "What do you mean 'they're dying'?"
"The life... she's giving up." Loki said, his heart throbbing in pain.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know." Loki replied, looking out the window. "I know nothing of Midgardian geography... though that is why I've not been in everyone elses presence... I have been researching in the library for the most part, I had just come back when you came in."

Thor sat next to him. "Loki... you should have spoken of this. For all you know others might know exactly where it is you see." he said, trying to reign in his anger. His brother had been keeping things from him... things which could be used. "What is it you see?"

Loki paused, pondering over the fact that he probably should have told Thor. "It is always light... there is a lone window from which you can see the outside. It's on a lake, surrounded by mountains... but that is all I can see." he said, the image continuing to revert to Lizzie on her table, with tears in her eyes.

"What time did you say this was?" Thor asked.

"Three in the morning." Loki replied.

"Three?" Pondering that information Thor stood up. "Jarvis, what realms would be alight at that time in the morning?"

Jarvis crackled to life. "Well, with the type of terrain which Prince Loki referred, it could be anywhere. Europe sounds like a perfect location for that..." it said. "Do you know what type of trees were around, Prince Loki?"

"I know not." Loki replied. "Midgardian vegetation wasn't something I was interested in last time I was here..." He trailed off. "But..." without another word, he left the room, leaving Thor to follow him down to the library. Jarvis had a point, the natural habitat would give evidence of the location, why hadn't he thought of this before? Going to the section – as he now knew the library quite well – which he knew he'd find the information.

Thor trailed behind him, unsure of what was really going on. Something had triggered Loki's desire for research, he only hoped that—

"Aha!" Loki exclaimed, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Cottonwoods. That is what they are called." Walking past him quickly, Loki practically ran out of the room. Thor followed, unable to do anything else.

"I'm not sure that now is a good time, Nell." Veronika was trying to reason with Farbauti.

"He is my son. He needs to know that I am here." the queen replied, sighing. "Vera, I understand what you're trying to say, and as your friend, I am listening with utmost attention and care. But I think that Loki needs to know of my existence."

"He may not react well." Clint's voice suddenly piped up. "I got to know him a bit more while we were prisoners together, I don't think that knowing you're his mother is going to be the best thing in the world while he's looking for Lizzie."

Farbauti looked over. "He has been lied to his entire life, do you want me to continue that trend?" she inquired.

"I would have you withhold the information until he's back to his stable self." Clint replied. "He does not need family drama right now."

Natasha scoffed. "He's got plenty of that with Thor, that's for sure – where is Thor anyway?"
"He went to talk to Loki." Jane supplied.

"Like that's going to do any good." Darcy piped up. "Loki is a damn nuisance right now, I want to smack him upside the head, maybe that'll get his brain to work again."

Bella looked at the brunette. "I was unaware that you had such a good relationship with him." she said, though her statement was more of a question.

Darcy smirked. "I have my days." she replied vaguely.

"Darcy." Jane chastised.

"Point is, I simply do not think it's wise at the moment." Veronika continued. "Look, I have sent for my father, he should know where Alex is – he knows practically everything about his opposition and Alex is among them. We'll have her back soon, and I've no doubt that everything will be able to be revealed then."

Farbauti scoffed. "Until then, you expect me to be no different than the people who adopted him. No different than Odin and Frigga? To sit here, and tell him I'm 'Nell Shiffer', Elizabeth's friend?" She asked, her temper beginning to flare.

"Stark!" Loki's voice cut through the room and he soon followed after it, the book in his hands. "Cottonwoods, daylight at three in the morning, a lake and mountains." he threw the book down in front of the billionaire who had his arm around Pepper. "Find that location."

Tony's brows furrowed, and he looked at the book. "How are cottonwoods supposed to help me here?" he asked.

"Loki has seen Elizabeth's surroundings through the connection of the locket." Thor supplied. "If you can pinpoint that location then we should be able to find her."

"Jarvis, do a scan on where those four variables coincide." Tony told the AI.

"Very good sir." Jarvis replied.

Loki looked over at Farbauti, and the Queen stiffened. Veronika eyed her friend, hoping against hope that she wasn't as stubborn as her son seemed to be... "Do you know of any locations that those things could happen at once?" Loki asked of her, and Veronika was momentarily stunned.

"Me?" she asked.

"Yes, you know the most about him beside Elizabeth herself – and your other daughter."

"Bella, my name is Bella." Bella snapped.

"Yes, yes, Bella." Loki waved off, turning to the mother. "Do you know?"

Veronika shook her head. "He didn't keep any of his old headquarters – save the one in Germany. But that's in lowlands, there are no mountains or cottonwoods there... nor is it on a lake." she said sadly. "I'm sorry."

Loki sighed, looking back at Stark. "Anything?"

"Have you any idea how many states in this country have Cottonwoods, mountains or a Lake?" Tony asked in return. "Give me some time."

"Don't forget the daylight." Darcy chipped in.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Daylight. He said it was daylight at three in the morning." She explained, finishing off her drink.

Tony paused. "Daylight?" he repeated. "What's Russian summer like where it's daylight?"

"Cold and snowy." Natasha supplied. "Norway is possible... as is Sweden."

"They're seven hours ahead, so daylight makes sense there." Clint added. "It would be ten o'clock."

"Hey, how is it that nobody can see her?" Darcy asked... though it seemed she was asking the right questions.

Bella sighed. "Alex had a mutant back when we were with him, his name was Ivan, he put shields up – so to speak, and no one else could use their powers to see in... cloak would be a better word." she said. "Charles Xavier once came at us, but he couldn't get into anyone's mind, we were all cloaked to him as long as Ivan was there."

"This guy sleep?" Darcy asked.

"Yeah, of course he does."

The brunette threw her hands up in the air. "Hello! Is anyone getting this?" she asked. "The guy has to sleep, and there is obviously a time difference."

"Three in the morning..." Jane was beginning to get it.

"Oh my god." Pepper got it too.

"That totally makes sense." Bella understood.

"What? What am I missing?" Tony was still in the dark, as was everyone else by the looks on their faces.

"Time difference, Tony, Ivan goes to sleep. When he does, his shield is weakened." Bella explained.

Veronika finally got it. "The shield wouldn't weaken if he was ahead of us." she said. "So he must be behind."

"But where would there be daylight—?"
"ALASKA!" Darcy finally yelled through the thicket of comprehension, causing everyone to stare at her. "What? They're four hours behind us, three o'clock would be eleven their time. Reasonable enough time for a guy who's constantly busy to get to sleep."

"How long can you see for?" Thor asked, finally understanding what the others were.

"A few hours." Loki replied. "Until eight o'clock."

"Which would make sense." Jane replied. "They would have him stay up as long as he could, And wake up before any of us did."

Tony's eyes widened. "Jarvis narrow that search to Alaska." he said, pausing a moment. "And double the security, I don't like other people knowing my sleeping habits."

"You don't remember me, do you?" Lizzie asked Scott as he finished taking some blood from her, her eyes watching him carefully. He hadn't changed much since she'd seen him last, his hair was shorter perhaps, but that was all, he still moved with fluidity – although she now found herself comparing him to Loki.

Loki... she was beginning to wonder how bad of a shape she was in. She had been seeing Loki during the time they weren't experimenting on her, but every time he was like a fleeting memory, a wisp to fade as soon as her tormentors returned. Was it a sign of some kind?

Scotts brown eyes looked up at her and he shook his head slightly. He was given strict orders not to talk to her, although if he had been able to talk he would have told her that he sensed that he knew her from somewhere... but as he couldn't he didn't. He looked down at the needle, cutting off her blood from leaving her body when he was done. She hissed in pain. "Sorry." he muttered, closing his eyes in irritation. He just had to do that didn't he?

"It's okay. I know why you're doing it." she replied softly, wondering what he would do if he had known of his past with her...

Scott scoffed, but said nothing, holding very closely to his mandate.

"How is Theresa?" Lizzie asked, trying to just get him to reply to her. Scott froze and looked her in the eye, his own hard and questioning.

"How do you know about Theresa?" he ground out, his hand tightening around the vial of her blood.

"I know everything about you, Scott." she replied, feeling confident. "That's why he doesn't want you to talk to me."

"Why?"

Lizzie had finally caught his attention. "Because he knows that there are certain things that – if I told you – would turn you against him." she said, careful with her words. She was treading on thin ice, and if she said the wrong thing she could wind up with someone else.

Scott narrowed his eyes slightly, although he seemed to consider her words all the same. "You should be careful." he finally said. "Remember what you're doing here."

She smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, I haven't forgotten." she said, all too painfully aware that in three days their experiments had left her in such a state that she was probably quite a sight to see. "I was an idiot, and this is my reward. Well, at least I have some fabulous room service."

A small smile graced Scott's handsome features as he looked down at her in amusement. "If you need anything, by all means just holler." he joked back, reminding her a bit of the Scott she knew. As if remembering that he was supposed to stay silent, he suddenly cleared his throat and walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

Ah, here we are. :D I hope you enjoyed that, and I hope to get the next one out by Saturday. in the meantime...what did you all think?